Antislipping tread



Patented May 21, 1929.V v

` UNITE-D lS'lligTES PAT,'fE.NT OFFICE.

HERBERT BRQOKE PERREN HUMIFHRIES, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

marisu- Prine :tranen Appucationalea August'as, 192e, smal No. .rar-,384, .andrai-great mitainlseptember so, 1925.

rlherpresent invention relates to treads for footwear anda method of maknigthegsameu.,

More particularly the invention-relatesQtorimf' provenients in elastic or cushiontreadspar-. ticularly adapted for preventing slippingor: sliding on wet pavements or otl1erJfs'u f aces`- on which slipping is likely to Occur and to af surfaces, but has-the particularly objectionable .feature that `on wet pavements there is substantially no'friction; or in other words,

there is a very low co-eflicient of friction'between unvulcanized or crepe rubber and wetted surfaces `of asphalt, concrete, br'ick, stone, and other material employed "forv pavements. p It is the primary object of the presentinvention toprovide a new form of tread'rfor footwear which` is particularly adapted to prevent slipping or sliding on wet avements and other surfaces, and which emy odiesithe advantages of kunvulcan'ized or-,c'repe rubber when applied toor incorporated 1in .treads for footwear.

Another object of the invention isto prof vide a method of making the product ofmy invention which shall be rapid andf-y'eilicient.

While the anti-slippingltread madein .accordance with this invention maybe incoryporated in Lthe :crepesole .and /or heel itself, fit ispre'ferabl `.embodied'in a padwliichgis .applied to the ottomsurfaceof anordinary crepe sole and while itis believedithat .the principalutility ofthe invention is fforitreads .for footwear, it'is'also applicable to `various other uses, suchas clutches for otherfriction surfaces, to prevent or reduce slippingyespecially under conditions v'when oil :or twater comes between the engaging surfaces.

in such manner as `to `'be exposed edgewise at :the operatingsurface .of .the tread. '3Frefervis built .up in a' laminated-Structurqpresentfing to the working surface alternate layers ..ofcrepe.rubbergandi the edges of the fibrous ifsheet matefrial. "Ilhe'layers of sheet material tend-somewhat-'toiincrease the durability and .Stifnessjofthe-crepeitreads `well as to im- 'yzpart'fto lit `ii'on-s'l-ipping qualities, without deytracting from the desirable inherent properties ofcrepe rubber. Other `features of .the invention will hereinafter be described and .pointed out in the claims.

The .invention is illustrated byv way ofeiramleinitspreferred embodimentand in a mo ied `fform in the accompanying drawings, in `which Fig. 1 isaplanview of my preferred form of' frictionorantislipping tread in the form of a pad;

-Fig.:;2 isa side'view of a strip of unvulcanized or crepe rubber having attached thereto :a sheet imaterial'illustrating a step in the method kof making 'my anti-slipping tread, preparatory .to rolling the .material into the final vform Ifrom which the rpads or treads .may becut;

Fig. ,3 -Iis a view'in perspective of a roll j'formed from the .united sheets shown in .F1g."2;

Fig. ,4 is a .cross-sectional view taken on :thezlineofiF'ig. l;

' Eig. 5 is a plan view of a tread or sole'to Ywhich the form of the 'invention'shown in .'Fig. lhasrbeenapplied;

Fig.'f6 is a vView inperspective showing a '.mo'dilied 'method o'f forming a .laminated ybody 4from which sheets or'pads 'of vthe de- `siredthickness may be cut; andl Fig. 7 isa planview of a pad sliced from athe laminated body :shown in Fig. V6, and trimmedand beveled :at its edges.

.Referringmore inV c detail to lthe drawings;

l--F-ig. `1 illustratesithe'preferred embodiment :of my `invention fin `wfliich'a striplor sheet of .woven textile :material '1 is Iembedded in a body ofxunvulcanized or .crepe rubber 2in p atingsurface or working surface of the body. Aprincipal characteristic of the invention.'The body is gpr'eierably'in the v`formof ar pad isthat fibrous sheet-materiallis incorporated of oval-shaperof a thickness of about oneand embedded in' the vtread `of crepe grabber eighth.inchandh'asfan outer rim or `margin j-:pfrcreperubber' about one-quarter inch thick aroundthe-lconvolutions or edgewise lextend- .ing portion-s yotfa-bric. This body may be l.cemented orzattac'hedjtothe Vtread or sole of a shoe, as shown in vFig. 5,"in any desired'manvloo ner.; or idesired .the parts may be'made in tegral with", the solev or' tread, `-tvhole s sole may bemadeji'n onepart havingthe v. sheet material ,extending edoewiSB-nm the lie sole or treadr;

exposed surface throughout t The body'maybejniade inother shapes than the'ovalshapeysuchjas invdiamond shape, or

'circular or in`V oblong`. form,al`though I pref erably empio lthe oval shape having c onvo lutions of fa ricmaterial or other suitable friction producing material for. the reason suitable adhesive material to one end thereof and doubling over or uniting this end por-f.

tion, such as portion 3 in 2, whereby a core adapted to provide an lnner portion of the finished roll is formed. Upon this rubber sheet is attached the sheet of the material to be embedded, which is referably a coarse, woven textile material, a thou h I may employ leatherfoninorganicl fa ric or other sheet material having iiberstherein which is adapted to develop friction on a wet surface so as to. prevent slipping when in contact therewith. The sheet of textile material or other material which is to be embedded is preferably of a width less than that of the rubber so as to leave a substantial length of the rubber base uncovered, as illustrated at 4,

in Fig. 2 of the drawings, whereby when the material is rolled together so as to form the convolutions of the anti-slipping material, the portion Ltwill serve as a sealing end producing a shell or casing of rubber in which none of the sheet material will be exposed. 'Ihe end 4; is preferably chamfered so that in forming the roll the free end will unite with v the body portion so as to form a substantially continuous surface. The sheet material may be treated'with a rubber solution, such as latex, and united to the rubber material; or the sheet material may be lcemented to the rubber base by means of a rubber cement; or the materials may be unite-d by applying a suitable rubber solvent to the surface of the rubber base, whereby when the sheet material is laid on the rubber sheet, the sheet material will Vbecome impregnated with the dissolved unvulcanized rubber and serve as a binding medium between the sheet material and the unvulcanized rubber base. In a similar manner the adjacent portions of the material when rolled may be made to adhere to each other, the combined sheets being rolled together in any suitable manner. After the roll has been formed it may be pressed or molded, as desired, and may be permitted to the wefts or warps to fraying of the fabric.

After the treads or pads have been cut lfrom the 'roll or. body `of the material the iam:

idi-y'and set before the cut-ting Operation which the pads or treadsA are formed. l 'In forming theanti-slipping tread from lthe roll shown in Fig. 3, the pads or treads are preferably cut therefrom in a direction so that the cut will not be parallel to the direction of the threads in the textile material. In the preferred form of the invention the sheets are so laid on the rubber base that the cuts ma bemade transversely to the axis of the. roli without running parallel to the warps or wefts therein.` The textile sheets may, however, be laid on the rubber base so `.as to require cutting at an angle other than a right angle .to the llongitudinal axis of the roll. The angle at whichthe roll is out depends also upon the shape of the pad to be obtained therefrom, but in any case the sections should be cut so as not to be parallel to prevent raveling or outer edge of the slice is preferably c amfered as best, shown in Ei 4. f' -While the above method comprises the pre- Y ferred manner ofniaking the anti-slippiner tread of m invention, it is to be understood that the fabric or other material may be enibedded in another manner, such as by sewing or lacing or by interweaving or otherwise interlaying the material in the rubber; and the pads or treads may be madel separately asx a `unit, if desired. As above pointed out, however, it is of the utmost im ortance that the edges of the fabric, or ot 1er material employed to prevent slipping, be exposed in the wear surface of the pad or tread.

anti-slipping tread or pad shown in Figs. 6 and 7, I may lace the layers or sheets of unv vulcanized ru ber and fibrous sheet material alternately on each other so as to form alaminated structure from which treads or friction pads may be made, presenting frictional intervals to the ground surface. The fibrous sheet material employed for the purpose is preferably of a width less than that of the rubber sheets, whereby at the outside portion of the material there will be no exposed portions of the fibrous sheet material. In the building up of the laminated body, strips of the crepe or unvulcanized rubber may be laid at the outside of the sheet material so as to attain the required thickness at the out- In the modiied method of forming the side of the body. After the rubber sheets Y and textile material or other fibrous material employed has been suitably cemented together or otherwise attached.v the pads or treads may be formed therefrom by cutting the body transversely to or through the layers, so that the portions cut therefrom comprise bodies in which the sheet material is exposed edgewise to the wear surface or operating surface thereof.

the reason that if the material were eut parallel to the threads, there would be threads lying close to the surface and parallelthere-- to which would become loosened and detached. As above stated, the/sheet of fibrous material is preferably a woven textile material, such as cotton cloth or canvas which have e been found suitable, but wool, leather', and

other materials having the desired properties may also be employed for this purpose. -The sheet material which is to be united to the crepe rubber may be treated before being conc of any suitable size `or form. The fabricsheet .employed may be divided lengthwise into strips if desired and laid in individual strips instead of in a continuous sheet inthe` manner illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. After Vthe various sheets andl rubber strips have been suitably united, the roll may be pressed or molded so as t0 attain-the desired density. The fibrous sheetsl are preferably smaller than the rubber sheets so that when united therewith an outside margin orf-casing of rubber about one-fourth 'of aninch in thickness is the body.

The pads or anti-slipping treads may be attached to or secured in soles or treads by cementing` or byother suitable means, or, if desired, the anti-slipping treads may be made integral with the soles, such as crepe rubber soles for example, although I preferably attach the pads in the manner vabove stated. After the pads have been formed from the roll or from the laminated body above deproduced around the .outside of scribed, they may be trimmed or finished to attain the desired sizes andy shapes. The

padsmay also be used directly after they are cut from the larger body, or as above stated the pads or treads may be made separately without first forming the roll or laminated body. l44

It is to be understood that various changes or modifications may be made in the article of manufacture and the method of producing the same without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

l. A friction material of the kind described comprising a body of unvulcanized or crepe rubber having a rubberized sheet of fibrous cemented to the body of the said rubber, said material being wound in convolutions therein so that the exposed edge thereof presents substantially the form of a spiral. 3. An anti-slipping tread which comprises fa wovelrtextile materiall embedded in convolutions in unvulcanized or crepe rubber so as to expose an edge thereof in a spiral in the operating surface, the exposed edges of said textile material being. cut on the bias, the central portion of the tread being formed of the unvulcanized rubber without textile fabric embedded therein.

4. A method of making anti-slip material containing crepe rubber which comprises forming lamellae of crepe or unvulcanized rubber and a fibrous sheet material, uniting the lamellae by a suitable binding medium at atemperaturebelow that of vulcanization and cutting slices from the material so as to present an operating surface in which the fibrous sheet material is exposed edgewise therein.

5. A methodof making anti-slip 'treads which com rises ,firnriug a loaf of alternate layers of a heringunv'ulcanized or crepe rubber and a w'oven textile vmaterial in which the layers of said material are so laid that when the said loaf is cut transversely to the longitudinal axisthesaid Woven material will be cut on a bias and cutting said loaf into sections transversely to the longitudinal axis thereof.

6. An anti-slipping tread which comprises a Woven textile fabric embedded in convolutions in unvulcanized or crepe rubber so as to expose an edge thereof in a spiral at the operating surface of the tread, the entire outer portion of the tread being formed of con! .textile material of less extent than the rubbersheet so that the ends of the latter extend beyond the textile material, forming the united sheets into a roll with the inner por- -tion of the roll formed by one end of the rubber sheet that is free from the textile fabric and with the outer portion of the roll formed by the opposite end of the rubber sheet that is free from the fabric, uniting the contacting portions of the roll thus formed, and cutting treads from the roll so that an operating surface is provided in which the convolutions ber sheet that is free from the fabric, uniting the contacting portions et the roll thus formed, and Cutting treads from the roll so that an operating surface is provided in which convolutions of the textile material are exposed edgewise, the tread being provided with an outer portion which is free from textile material.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 3rd day of August, 1926.

HERBERT BROOKE PERREN HUMPHRIES. 

